Designs reportedly in the works for Apple-created TV, but in “early stages”

There's still no guarantee an Apple-branded TV will ever see the light of day.

On Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal dumped more fuel on the TV fire by claiming Apple is currently testing multiple designs for TV sets with its Asian suppliers. Though Apple has also reportedly been in talks with cable TV operators to deliver live TV on demand to a set-top box (or an Apple-created TV), one source dutifully pointed out that the TV prototypes are not "a formal project yet. It is still in the early stages of testing."

It's worth noting, just as the WSJ points out, that Apple often tests designs with its Asian partners without committing to manufacturing, though the company usually spends years doing its own internal designs before involving outside suppliers. In this case, it sounds as if Apple has at least gotten that far—two sources claim Hon Hai is the supplier that's working with Sharp to design the new TV—though there's no guarantee that it (or other designs) will ever see the light of day.

Buzz about an Apple-branded TV set has been around for years, but seemed to pick up drastically after biographer Walter Isaacson wrote that Apple cofounder Steve Jobs declared he'd "finally cracked" the secret to making a TV as simple as the iPhone. Since then, it seems as if Apple has stopped trying to deny its interest in expanding its living room presence, but still won't comment on any experiments or plans. Current Apple CEO Tim Cook recently made headlines on this topic again by telling NBC's Brian Williams that Apple has an "intense interest" in the television market, but that's likely to be all we'll hear from him about it until the mythical device makes its debut.